Car-coupling tool



(No Model.)

E. A. HAMILTON.

GAR GOUPLING TOOL.

NQ. 323,672. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

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NTTED STATES PATENT @reiche EDVARD A. HAMILTON, OF NEW BETHLEHEM,PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING TOOL.

SPECIFICATICN forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,672, dated August4, 1885.

Application filed February 16, 1855. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD A. HaMrL'roN, of New Bethlehem, in the countyof Clarion and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedCoupling-Link Holder, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, andefficient implement `for holding np the free ends of ear-eouplng links,so that they can enter the opposing draw-heads in coupling ears andwithout requiring the train-nien to stand between the cars and exposethemselves to injury.

rlShe invention consists in a coupling-link holder comprising a handle,a pair of arms held to a shank adapted to slide along the han; dle, andadapted to be set projected from the handle and with their outer endsseparated, together with a spring actin g to draw the arms backward frombetween the draw-heads as they approach each other in coupling the cars.

rllhe invention consists, also, in particular constructions andcombinations of parts of the link-holder, all as hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is asectional plan view of my coupling-link holder, showing itapplied to use. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the implenient,showing the link-holding arms held and locked in place within thetubular shaft or handle of the holder; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged backend view of the holder.

The letter A indicates the hollow or tubular shaft or handle of thelink-holder, the forward end of which handle is shaped to forni ashoulder,c,and also a nipple,b,through which the link-holding arms orprongs'B C may slide i'reely. I prefer to inake the arln B solid withthe shank D, and to pivot the arin C atc, near its rear end, to theshank, so that when the arnis B C arev drawn out from the handle A theheel e'on the arxn C may be set aga-inst the base of a slot, E, eut inthe nipple b for holding both arms B C- projected from the handle andseparated at their outer ends for a dis tance measuring about three-fonrths the length of an ordinary coupling-link, F, as indicated inFig. l.

Near the back end of the arm-shank D is iixed the collar G, whichloosely lits the bore of handle A and' serves as a guide to thexnovementboth ways of the shank D and its arms B C, and between the collar G andthe shoulder a of handle A is placed loosely on the shank the spiralspring H,which tends to draw the arms B C back into the handle A.

Behind the collar G is formed on the re duced back end, d, of the shankD the conical or arrow-headed catch I, behind the shoulder 'i of whichthe spring J, held to the cap or ferrule K, xed to the back end of thehandle A, is adapted to engage for locking the arms B C within thehandle A.

As shown, the spring .I is fixed at one end to the cap K, and passesthrough a side slot, It, in the capso that the end it of the slot stopsthe spring in proper position for the shank-head I to push the springback, so it may lock automatically behind the head; but the spring mayof course be fastened directly to the handle A, if desired.

The operation is as follows: The spring J will be pressed baek torelease the arrow-hc ad I of shank D and allow the arms B (l to beprojected from the handle A and locked when spread apart by the heel c',acting in the slot E of handle A, as before explained. rlhe arm C thenwill be held extended, with its outer end beneath the'end oi' the linkI?, which is held by the coupling-pin L in one draw-head M, and theother arm, B, will be placed behind the opposite end of the link,whereupon, by turning the handle A axially one-quarter around, more orless, the free endf of the link may be held up at proper height to enterthe opposing draw-head O of the car to be coupled on, and as thedraw-heads approach each other they will press the arm G, to trip itsheel c from the slot E, and the spring II then will act instantly todraw the arms B G back into the handle A, so as to prevent crushing ofthe arms between the contacting draw-heads, and the spring .I will catchunder the head I to lock the arms within the handle.

The linkholder with the arms drawn out or extended will be about twofeet long, so that the tran-nian may readily hold the link up by it asthe cars are coupled without requiring him to stand between the ears andexpose himself to injury.

It is evident that both the arms B Cmaybe pivoted to the end of theshank D, in which case the arm B would have a heel adapted to lock in aslot opposite the slot E, in which the heel c of arm C is set, but theconstruction with arm B solid to the shank, as shown, is preferred, asthe solid arm is stronger to liftthe outer end of thelink than would bea pivoted arm, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A coupling-link holder comprising a handle, a pair of arms held to ashank adapted to slide along the handle, and one or both ofsaid armshaving a heel or projection adapted to be set against the handle to holdthe arms Withdrawn therefrom and separated at their outer ends, and aspring acting to draw the arms back from between the drawheads as thecars are coupled, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, in a coupling-link holder,of the tubular handle A, ashanl{,D, guided therein and having attached arms B O, said arm C beingpivoted at c to the shank, and

having a heel, c, adapted-to entera slot, E, in handle A, substantiallyas specified, and a spring, II, acting to draw the arms B C back intothe handle A, substantially as herein set forth.

3. The combination, in a coupling-link holder,of the tubular handle A, ashank, D, guided therein and having attached arms B G, said arm O beingpivoted to the shank atc and having a heel, c, adapted to enter a slot,E, in handle A, and the spring H, acting to draw the arms B C intohandle A, substantially as specified, of the arrow-head I on shank D,and the spring J, held to handle A or a cap thereon, substantially asherein set forth.

EDVARD A. HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

C. H. IDE, A. E. ODoNNnL.

